Mangochi police corner ‘Airtel money’ conman

Mangochi: Police in Mangochi have cornered a conman alleged to have been duping people through fake texts triggering Airtel money transactions with unsuspecting victims across the country.

Mangochi Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Amina Tepani Daudi, on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of 31-year-old Henry Bauleni for an offence of theft, contrary to Section 278 of the Penal Code.

Daudi told Malawi News Agency (Mana) that Bauleni is believed to have been cheating people at Mangochi Town and other parts of the country since early this year.

We have had complaints from people having been tricked into making Airtel money payments after being fooled that they had won some kind of a prize or cash, Daudi said.

She added: On the night of July 23, 2018 detectives from Mangochi Police Station successfully apprehended Bauleni at his house in the area of Traditional Authority Mponda in the district in connection to a series of theft offences through a call log follow-up.

Daudi disclosed that a search at his house yielded two cell phones, numerous Airtel sim cards and a notebook full of different phone numbers, ‘apparently for the victims the conman had either preyed on or was yet to.’

The deputy police publicist said the notebook with contact phone numbers also had Airtel money account pin codes which were being used to hack into people’s accounts to steal money.

Mangochi Airtel Branch confirmed that the serial numbers of the sim cards the police have recovered from the suspect match those on record in their system among the scam numbers, Daudi further said.

Bauleni who hails from Maida Village in Traditional Authority Kapichi in Thyolo is an ex-convict and he once served a six year jail term for burglary.

Daudi said the conman is expected to appear before court soon to answer charges of theft.